Yubeng

Yubeng is one of the most beautiful and remote places I’ve been to. Not for the casual tourist, getting to Yubeng requires an 18 km hike over the mountains at an elevation of more than 11,000 feet to reach. However, the beautiful scenery and culture makes the trek more than worth it. Yubeng is in the far northwest of Yunnan province, China, right on the border of Tibet. Its inhabitants are 95% culturally Tibetan, with Tibetan being the main language of the village. The village of Yubeng (actually split into upper and lower Yubeng, which are 1.5km apart) is set at the base of Meili Xueshan, one of the Tibetan holy mountains at the far end of the Himalayas. The three peaks of the mountain are gorgeously covered in snow all year.

I visited Yubeng in mid-April, which appeared to be a low season for tourism. Although the village is not big, it mostly consists of several guesthouses, several of which were closed for the season when I arrived. I stayed two nights in Upper Yubeng at 150 inn, which was a pleasant place to stay with a beautiful view of the mountain.

There are several day hikes out of Yubeng. The two most popular are to the Ice Lake and the Sacred Waterfall. I did both of these hikes. The Ice Lake takes about 6 hours round-trip. I was not prepared for how much snow there would still be in the mountains in April. The final 2km of the trail were entirely covered in snow. When I reached the ice lake, it was fully frozen over, but with a beautiful view of the glacier and the surrounding mountains.

The next day I hiked to the sacred waterfall, which also turned out to require a couple of hours of trekking through snow. The waterfall was pretty but mostly frozen over. However, it is believed that the bathing in the water of the sacred waterfall will heal any ailment. I didn’t try this claim out though as it was far too cold!

The entire experience in Yubeng was amazing. Although I was traveling alone, I met up with a group of six Chinese tourists and another solo traveler from France. We were able to share a minivan from Feilaisi to Xidang, where the hike to Yubeng starts, and did the hike as a group. All of the people I met in the Yubeng were very friendly. The locals greeted me with tashi-da-dalay, Tibetan for hello. It was interesting to see how they live in this tiny, remote place, where all supplies are still brought in by mule.

Yubeng is one of my favorite places in China. The natural beauty is astounding and the opportunities for hiking and experiencing Tibetan culture are amazing. Take advantage to go before a road in is built and tourism ruins the simple beauty of the place.

The starting point for Yubeng is Xidang Hot Springs. Most people will come in from Shangri-la.

From Shangri-la, take the bus to Deqen (4-6 hours). From Deqen, ask the driver to continue to Feilaisi (you may have to change buses but there are frequent runs between Deqen and Feilaisi, 20 minutes away).

You’ll have to stay the night in Feilaisi as Xidang is still 2 hours away and the hike in to Yubeng takes 4-8 hours depending on ability level.

In the morning, take a shared minivan to Xidang. It usually costs 25 yuan per person. Don’t be surprised if you have to wait around for an hour or so until the van fills up. It will take you to the start of the trail at Xidang Hot Springs.

Leaving Yubeng:

To leave Yubeng, you can either hike back out through Xidang, or you can take the lower route through Lower Yubeng to Ninong. This is the route I took, and is a beautiful hike through the valley, almost entirely downhill for 4-5 hours. However, it is essential to arrange transport out of Ninong prior to hiking out as there are no minivans waiting in Ninong.

Be sure to allow at least 3-4 days to give you time to hike in and enjoy all the amazing hikes and scenery Yubeng has to offer! Glacier Lake is the slightly longer hike, while the Sacred Waterfall hike is shorter but a little steeper. When planning your hikes, take into account the elevation and plan for plenty of rest breaks.
Yubeng is covered in snow for most of the year, so be prepared for the cold. When I visited in mid-April the trails were still covered in several feet of snow, which made the hiking tough but beautiful!
Take some time just to walk through the villages (crossing the “Cold Hell” bridge between Upper and Lower Yubeng) to get a feel for life there. Be prepared that the livestock have the run of the town – you may have to step aside for passing mules, cows, and pigs!
There are plenty of guesthouses to stop in at for a tasty meal between hikes. Just make sure to eat around normal mealtime or you might have trouble finding a place serving late (there’s no restaurants or shops here, just friendly guesthouses).
If you haven’t arranged transportation ahead of time, hike back out through Xidang – it’s extremely tough to find transportation from Ninong (as I found out the hard way!).